"Devon I mean it, we have to get him moving. We can't wait here, we're like sitting ducks...what are you doing? Are you seriously poking him with a stick?"
There was a nagging pain in Mateo's left side as he winced his eyes open into the daylight. The creeping silhouette of tree branches interlocked above him and he could hear the gentle movement of a deer not far from where he was lying.
The stick jabbed into his slowly healing ribs and he growled low and deep. Did this kid never hear of the expression let sleeping dogs lie (Or they will bite your fucking face off)? Mateo may have embellished it somewhat.
"What's he doing? Is he awake yet?" The blond boy, Devon, asked, wrenching his head round towards the girl.
The boy’s hair was overgrown, half pulled back in a sloppy pony tail with fair wisps falling around his face. His skin was pale and his lips were a soft, gentle pink. His front teeth were slightly big as they hooked over his plump bottom lip. His eyes were scarred, blind but there was a tint of amber behind the clouded surface, the type that looked like sticky Jurassic resin trapping you inside.
"Kashvi?"
The girl named Kashvi frowned at Mateo then swung a pack up on her shoulders, "He's awake, and if he knows what's good for him he'll get up and start walking."
Kashvi was dark skinned with long, braided black hair and pale brown eyes. She had wide hips and a large blade strapped to her back.
Mateo growled again but arched himself up off the ground. The blind kid took a nervous step back, still brandishing the stick. Mateo snorted and swiped his bound wrists forwards, knocking the stick from Devon's hands. The boy swore and jumped backwards towards the remnants of a campfire.
"Relax Devon, he's still bound and hexed. Now come the fuck along. We've got a lot of ground to cover today," Kashvi sighed.
Devon blinked anxiously then knelt down, feeling for the frayed edges of rope at his feet. He grabbed hold of it and stood up, yanking it hard. Mateo snarled as he felt himself being pulled forwards. Devon wasn't particularly strong but the wolfsbane laced into the rope was of the purest form and burned with every movement.
"You gonna be okay Kashvi?" Devon asked, turning back towards the girl. He could probably hear where she was from the dry twigs and leaves crunching beneath her.
Not exactly stealthy, we'll have a clusterfuck of ronin wolves upon us in no time, Mateo thought to himself grimly. He was pretty sure he could smell the rusted tang of dried blood coming from the girl as well.
"I mean what with doing that hex, I know how painful magic..."
"Devon," Kashvi snapped, coming to a halt and jerking her head round. Her hardened expression relaxed somewhat when she registered the anxious frown on the other boy's face.
"I'll be fine, just keep the dog moving. It's stopping and starting that's the worst," Kashvi muttered.
Devon nodded and gave the rope another hard yank, "Heel boy!" he commanded loudly. Mateo growled again but groaned internally as he tripped forwards. Kashvi hadn’t given him much leeway with the ropes on his feet and every step was an awkward shuffle.
They walked for about an hour through the forest before Mateo could smell the tell-tale scent of damp and wood rot, he looked up at the sky when he heard Devon's voice.
"It's going to rain again."
Mateo frowned, it was impossible that a human would be able to smell that.
Kashvi sighed wearily, "At least maybe it will wash away our scent trail, I don't want to get tracked by any more ronins."
"Yeah ronins suck." Devon griped, kicking at the floor grumpily, "And they never come up with any creative threats either - it's always 'Oooh I'm gonna gobble you up Little Red Riding Hood' in a really perverted voice."
Mateo snorted and Devon whipped his head round, his clouded eyes narrowed at him. "I suppose being an Alpha you think you can do better huh?" he snapped.
Mateo smirked and looked ahead to where Kashvi was pulling a water flask from her pack. She walked back towards Devon and tapped him on the shoulder, "Stop having a staring contest with the wolf, he's only going to lose."
Devon scoffed as he gripped the flask from her and took a long swig. After he had finished he wiped his mouth. Mateo noticed how large and dipped the human’s lips were.
He had a long pale neck as well, Devon would certainly fetch a high price if he were auctioned at the Meat Markets, shame he was damaged.
Mateo shook his head and noticed to his surprise that the boy was approaching him cautiously. Devon proffered the water flask with an outstretched hand.
"Okay are we gonna have to play Marco Polo here Mr Wolf? Because if you haven't noticed, I'm a little bunged up in the eye area right now, some real nasty conjunctivitis, so for all I know I'm trying to give this water flask to a tree."
Mateo rolled his eyes and thrust his tied hands forwards, snatching the flask from the boy. Devon nodded, "Right then," as Mateo greedily started to gulp it down.
"Think we'll make it out of this patch of forest tonight?" Devon asked, craning his neck round to Kashvi.
Kashvi sighed, "If you're worried about camping on the plains, don't be, there's no chance we'll be out of here for another two nights. Especially not at this rate."
Kashvi glared angrily at Mateo as if he had chosen to become their hostage and inconvenience them with his slow pace due to wolfsbane bindings. He glared right back and Kashvi huffed and crossed her arms,
"If you are quite done watering your pet Devon we need to get going or it will be three nights."
Kashvi adjusted the machete on her back and stared menacingly at Mateo before turning to start walking again. Mateo thought it was a wonder that Devon could even get through the forest at all with the only able-sighted person walking ahead of him and often forgetting to call back warnings.
"Tree," Mateo eventually gritted out before the boy smacked straight into another one. Devon gave a bark of surprise and froze.
"You spoke to me!" He was facing forwards but Mateo was pretty sure the younger boy was grinning.
Mateo sighed, "Every time you run into something your girlfriend gives me a look like it's my fault and that she is now more inclined to gut me than sell me."
Devon laughed and turned round. He was grinning. "She's my sister, well, she's basically my sister and thanks, I've always wanted my own seeing eye dog."
"Seriously? You made that joke." Mateo groaned, regretting he had said anything now, even if it had meant another ten minute stop whilst the kid stuffed rags up his nostrils to quench the bleeding.
"Devon will make any joke there is, unless it involves nuns or Chimeras." Kashvi called back, "Now start walking again."
Devon smiled and pulled, albeit a lot more gently, on the rope to get them moving again. He skirted around the tree, "Yeah well, nuns, because those ladies deserve some respect and there is just no way in hell that Chimeras will ever be a laughing matter."
"You were bitten by one." Mateo said grimly. It was a statement, not a question.
Devon jerked his head round and fumbled slightly over a log, "How the hell do you know that?"
"I can smell it." Mateo replied, "Chimera bites leave a scent. I'm surprised you didn't die."
Devon nodded thoughtfully, "Kashvi got the poison out."
Mateo frowned, the only way to extract Chimera venom was by using magic.
Who the hell were these kids? If they had real magic they would be using it instead of that rusted old machete.
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